


The Trouble Is..

by prtzlstx



Category: Let's Play (Webcomic)
Genre: AU, Adult Content, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24835612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prtzlstx/pseuds/prtzlstx
Summary: This is an AU college story about Marshall Law and Sam Young from the Webcomic Let's Play. None of what is written here is canon to the story and nothing more than that of a vivid imagination of a story teller who enjoys a good story themselves.This a story of alternating perspectives about just a boy and a girl who meet by chance and end up changing each other. Now, whether that's for the better or for worse, that is still yet to be decided. But like every story of young love, it's about growth as a person. There will be laughter, love, music, video games, tears, and just so much more.
Relationships: Marshall Law/Sam Young (Let's Play)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	1. 1A. First Rays of Morning

Every morning always started the same way, well, except for the morning that started it all.

Typically, my days start with a bit of self-deprecation after the morning shower, then it’s a bit of coffee on my way out to a day of classes, an evening band practice, and then a long night of diving straight into whatever video game was loaded up from the night before. It was easy, it was routine, and it kept me too busy for my own thoughts. 

But this morning…

Staring at myself in the mirror, I found myself caught in that looming shadow of dread and self-doubt. It was as if my fears and pain were manifesting into ghosts that clung to my shoulders and whispered the same set of questions into my ears. _What is even the point of all of it? What good were all my efforts anyway?_ My head pounded as my anxieties continued to rage unchecked. The whole point of this fresh start was to try and shake these feelings by becoming who it was that I wanted to be. But I don’t even know who I want to be. All I know is that Ben Lawson, attorney of law, was only ever someone else’s idea of who I should be. Maybe one day, all the pieces will finally fit together.

With that finally lingering thought, I pushed away from the bathroom sink and did my best to shake the shadows of my thoughts to face the day. It had only been a year since I transferred into the University and I had managed to forge myself a new life. New friends, new habits, new schedule. All things that I thought would make me happy and fill that blackhole inside of me, and for the most part they did. No one was lingering over my shoulder telling me what to do and what was proper. It was freedom and freedom was always what I wanted.

While I fought through that maelstrom of morning emotions, I got ready to face the day as I normally would. Answered the many texts impatient text messages from my friends and band mates. Threw on whatever shirt at the top of my laundry pile that was not too wrinkled and didn’t have any mysterious odors. Lastly, with my backpack gathered up under my arm and guitar cast strapped to my back, I was ready to face the new day.

Only, in my mad dash out the front door, the last thing I expected was to come crashing into the shoulder of a petite brunette and her mother. Moving as quickly as I could, my arms wrapped around the brunette in hopes of keeping her from tumbling to the ground. However, my backpack and the box she was carrying were poor casualties to the greater good.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t even see you guys”, I gushed, making sure she was back up on her feet before letting my hands return to my sides. “You okay?”, I asked, but she never even looked up at me. Her mother, on the other hand, wore a smirk that even I couldn’t mistake.

There was nothing special in my backpack, aside from the shitty laptop I used to take notes for class with. But that thing was a damn brick, I could throw it against the wall and it would just come bouncing back to me like a demented shell in Mario Kart. “Oh man, I hope there was nothing valuable in there”, I hunched over picking up the box, surprised at how heavy it actually was. “I would owe you big time.”

And still nothing, but at least now the brunette looked at him. Actually, I should say she peaked up at me from behind her thick framed glasses. Chocolate colored irises only highlighted by a crimson flush covering her cheeks. _Adorable._

“I take it you’re the new neighbor? I was wondering when they were going to actually to fill that apartment. I think the last tenant said that the apartment was haunted by a former student here”, now I was just straight babbling at this point. What else was I supposed to do if she wasn’t going to say anything. 

It was like my brain was begging me to shut up but my mouth wanted to stage a mutiny on all common sense. It wasn’t until I spotted a look of terror that crossed those chocolate eyes of hers. “No, no, I’m sorry. I was only kidding”, I sighed, turning to set her box down next to the open door next to mine. “He was kicked out for turning the school pool into a giant bubble bath for a party. No ghosts, promise.”

“Yeah, I’m just moving in”, she sighed, but didn’t hide the annoyance in her voice. She pushed past me to check the contents of the box. This girl’s mom offered me an apologetic smile. 

Well, then. With a shake of my head, I picked up my backpack once more now sufficiently late for my class. The Professor would probably not let me into the lecture again. If I ran, I could probably make it in time. “Well, typically I would stay around and offer a bit of help to you ladies but I may actually end up scarified to the Gods of Procrastination if I’m late for my presentation. Just let me know if anything is broken, I’ll gladly pay for it”, I rambled again, back peddling my steps further and further away from my new neighbor.

The last thing I heard before I broke off into a dead sprint for the Fine Arts building was the voice of the girl’s mother, _“Well, he seems like a sweetie._ ”

At least I had that going for me, total mom bait. 

………………………………

I somehow managed to sneak into the back row of Professor Lewis’ History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture class before he could even call me to stand for my presentation on my midterm project. Technically speaking, I was supposed to give it last lecture, but extenuating circumstances, I had to pull a few strings to get a bit of an extension. Though, that came with very descriptive threats from the Professor. Who would know that a fine art teach could be so… _graphic?_

Aside from the fear of becoming the next sacrificial lamb for the sake of eradicating procrastination, the day pretty much went on just like every other normal day. The usual line up of classes in the midmorning, lunch from the same café off the campus center, and finally, wrapping up my academics locked away in the ART 312 lab sketching away at some half-baked idea for a comic book. Of course, every day wouldn’t be complete without to the student center. For it was there, that my holy land could be found. Hidden away in some partially forgotten basement classroom was the place that four friends got together and got to spend a bit of time just writing basement noise.

Sound equipment, instruments, and cords were strewn around the room. This place was practically sacred to me. It was just a room that I could sing, scream, and jam out every bad thought that lingered in my head. Those ghosts and demons that chased me couldn’t cross the salt barrier that was our rehearsal space.

I discarded my backpack, plugged my guitar into my amp, and took that little white pick between my fingers. At first, cords were strummed aimlessly as I paced back and forth across the makeshift stage. The room was rather dingy, not much light to shine on the basement floor that only made the off-white walls more of a shade of grey. Discarded desks were stacked up in a forgotten corner and the old stage that once housed a drama club practice creaked beneath my sneakers. As rundown as it was, as bygone as this room was, it was home to us misfits. With our music to fill the hallow walls, it was a safe haven for stories to be told and secrets to be shared under a thin veil of melody and rhyme. 

Slowly, as Dean and the rest of my friends filtered into their spots on the stage, those random cords I plucked began to string together a song of ours. We had a show in the on-campus bar in a few days and that meant that each practice brought a new kind of energy and excitement to try and ward off the anxieties that always came with a live show. But if there was ever a bit of therapy, it was standing on that stage.

“So, make believe that I impress-”, I sang into the microphone, just letting the words wash over me. I still remember writing these lyrics, the desires that slipped into the upbeat tempo in deans drumming. To this day, this song would always be one of my favorites to perform. Even if only one person in that stupid small little bar sung along, that was more than enough for me. “That every word, by design, turns a head. I wanna feel reckless, I wanna live it up just because. I wanna feel weightless, cause that would be enough.”*

………………………………

It was well past eleven o’clock by the time I came back home, which, always was pretty standard the week before a show. The band had been nothing more than a collection of guys getting together to do something they enjoyed. None of us thought we’d make anything of a go in the music world. It wasn’t our true loves or passion, but it sure was a hell of a good time to be up on that stage.  
Really, I probably should get to sleep or at least attempt to do some homework for tomorrow. But I knew neither was what I was going to do. No, now it was time for a little Marshall TLC before hitting the sack. With a single cup of steaming noodles in hand, I settled in at the computer desk and booted up Ol’ Faithful yet again.

It was nothing but a modest duel monitor set up, with one monitor open to the load in screen of the most recent horror game that Dean had recommended to me. The other was open to the streaming site in which I had recently started loading up my own videos. It was nothing special, but it seemed that people actually enjoyed my rambling that came along with whatever game play I was doing. That or people really were sadistic and really just enjoyed listening to me scream like a little girl at the occasional jump scare. 

A therapist had once told me that journals and thought diaries were a good practice for dealing with traumas and anxieties. Well, journals were never my speed. But this, rambling aimlessly about things I enjoyed while getting lost in a world that wasn’t my own? These streams, they were my diary. My rambling thoughts and inner monologue were my journal. These games were just another kind of band aid to stick over the leaking wounds. Nothing like sniping a few zombie alien overlords between the eyes on a bad day.

Hitting start, I finished a fork full of noodles before flashing a grin at the webcam. “Hi again. Alright, as promised, I’m going to tackle this damn game again. If I die from a heart attack, well, you can blame yourself”, my chuckle echoed through an empty room that suddenly didn’t feel so empty. 

It didn’t take long for me to be absorbed into the game, laughing at my own reactions to the gore and violence. I almost didn’t notice a message left on the slow-moving chat on the side. 

_“Glad to see you weren’t sacrificed to the Gods of Procrastination. Hope the presentation and your day went well.”_

I eyed the words for a second, before they disappeared into the influx of oncoming messages. “Being sacrificed would have been a total bummer, but things worked out enough. I live to annoy Professor Lewis another day. I hadn’t realized that I made that joke on here. Man, I need to get some new material”, I laughed, only vaguely remembering making that quip once before. But what was I kidding, I was probably wrong anyway. No matter, the anonymous compassion left a grin on my face for the rest of the stream.

“Alright, I think I better crash before I can’t get up in the morning. As always, thanks for turning in and dealing with me another night. This is Marshall Law, signing out.” And with that, another routine day came to a close. Or, so I thought.


	2. Sighs of the Setting Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam's finally brave enough to venture out on her own in hopes of chasing a dream to develop her own video game. With it will come doubts and fears, but she gets through her first night alone with the help of someone unexpected.

“Pumpkin, were just about there”, my father practically sung out in that saccharine sweet voice he deserved for me alone. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come up? I should see your new place, make sure there’s no triggers for your asthma and there’s no boys I should scare off.” At this point, I let my dad’s rant continue on. He was just like this sometimes, a little overprotective and a little overbearing, but he meant well. I found it endearing, to a degree.

“I’m sure, Dad. Mom already is there talking with the advisor and said that she unpacked most of the boxes. Besides, she said to keep you in the car so you can make it to your flight back home”, I repeated the words my mother gave me in order to quell the male storm of thoughts roaming through my dad’s head. At the mention of my mom, his entire expression softened. If there was one kryptonite for the CEO of Young Technologies, it was his wife. Thank god for her sometimes.

Without her, I would have never been able to convince my dad to let me do this. Moving hours away from home was a pipe dream that seemed to stick in the back of my head as I watched friends move away. One after another leaving the nest to find themselves. At first, I never thought I could even handle it on my own, let alone be able to convince my father into allowing it. But it was my mom who seemed to recognize that wanderlust brewing in my eyes and from there, the conversations started. We he had concluded on the perfect compromise that not even my father could say no to. He may have been a shark in the business word, but my mother was practically a killer whale when it came to getting what she wanted from Samuel Young. 

Los Angeles to San Francisco was approximately a 6-hour drive, or an hour-long flight. Far enough away to be considered independent, but not so far that I was totally alone. Of course, with the promise of monthly visits and weekly Skype calls, my Dad gave into the demands and allowed for the transfer of universities. This was it, I couldn’t help but think, my shot to be a real adult. I was finally moving away from home, getting to venture out as an adult, and having this chance to maybe experience college the way it was meant to be experienced. 

Part of the deal was making the trip up to the Bay Area with my dad behind the wheel while my mom had taken a flight up to get the last-minute details in order. It was a six-hour long trip full of life advice, and most importantly, warnings off of any and all boys. Honestly, it made me wonder if my dad was more concerned about my lungs giving out on me or if a boy were to smile my way. Not that he had to even worry about something like that.

The campus rolled into view, tall buildings nestled in the trees and gloomy grey skies of the city. And yet, it seemed to shine brighter than any sunny LA day. It was the sweet freedom at my fingertips, even if that terrified me at the same time. As we drove through the campus streets brimming with life, I pieced together what my new life might look life from the pictures online and the fantastical idea in my head. There was the computer science building where I’d be spending a majority of my time. And there on the corner was this coffee shop I read about that seemed to have the best breakfast burritos in the area. And finally, a brown-grey apartment building that stood out against the oak trees of Mount Sutro and would now be called home.

There stood my mother, waving down my father to the empty spot near the entrance to the off-campus housing. Now, there was no going back. Hesitancy and indecision loomed over my shoulders, keeping me glued to the seat that I had called home for the long drive. Now, faced with the future I had wanted for myself so desperately, I couldn’t help the regret that welled in the back of my throat. Could I actually handle this?

“Come on sweetie, don’t you want to see your new apartment?” My mother’s question took me by a shock. I didn’t realize we had already parked and my father was unloading the few boxes that we had transferred from LA. The silent warning in my mother’s eyes screamed that if I didn’t start moving my Dad was certainly going to make a beeline for my apartment to start causing trouble. 

With one last deep breath and the encouraging smile from my mother, I managed to find my hidden courage and stepped free from the car and into the moist San Franciscan air. The campus life was already buzzing despite it still being relatively early. I wonder if it was the start of the new year that left everyone bright eyed and bushy tailed. 

“Dear, why don’t you load my things in the rental while I go show Sam around her apartment.”  
“But baby...I want to see Pumpkin’s place”  
“We discussed this Samuel, we need to return this rental and were going to be late for our flight if you do. It’s why you drove her up in the first place.”

My parent’s quiet argument was not lost on me as I picked up one of the boxes. It wasn’t too heavy for me, but it was also the one I would entrust to no one else. Inside was everything I had put together for my pet project, my attempt at making another pipe dream of mine come true. Within the cardboard walls of the box was every idea, sketch, plan, and laptop filled with half worked code for my first indie game. And the real reason why San Francisco was the ideal move.

“It’s on the second floor, two-thirteen”, my mother’s voice announced. My father was nowhere to be found, another victory for Queen Young. 

I let her lead the way, half listening as she explained all the upgrades my father had made for me to ensure my safety. Half way through the words air-purifier, I had almost completely zoned out. Instead, my attention was focused elsewhere, on a pair of girls walking the opposite way down the hall laughing. They appeared to be roommates, and they appeared to be inseparable. 

I longed for that kind of friendship, it was part of the reason why I wanted to come to the city. Fresh start, new friends, and a chance to be who I really wanted. I was part way through reminding myself to find a way to balance all these new aspirations without overwhelming myself when a walking refrigerator hit me. 

My box went crashing to the floor, a fate I fully expected to share, if it wasn’t for said fridge’s arms wrapped around me. It took every ounce of strength to pretend not to notice the strength in which I was encircled by. Or notice that pure look of glee that seemed to spread across my mother’s face at this sudden development. I could practically feel the blood staining my skin red with the furiousness of my blush when I finally looked up to the fridge with legs who nearly took me out on my first day of independence.

He was a beautiful specimen, that was for sure, but there was also something oddly familiar about him. Looking at him was like hearing the note of a song I know by heart but can’t think of that first lyric to make it all sink into place. He spoke, but I couldn’t hear him. Silence was my friend as I tried to piece together the puzzle that he was, not to mention it kept me from thinking about the faint hint of musk lingering from where his arms caught my waist. 

And then he was gone, my eyes following him as he rushed away. The last words I heard were something about a sacrifice? “Wait... _what_?”

………………………………

It had only been a few hours since my family pulled out of that parking spot, but I couldn’t already feel the loneliness starting to creep up. Maybe I should have let my Dad stick around for a bit? Besides my Mom explaining a bit of the upgrades they had made to the security and air filtration systems in the apartment, she didn’t stick around. And why would she? She was my biggest supporter in my new desire for independence!

I had to resist the urge to text my parents, I knew one text would send my Dad back here faster than I could say pumpkin. I mean, the first few hours or days had to be the hardest, right? So instead of dwelling on those doubts looming on my back, I used that time to really unpack and settle into the apartment. Books were placed on shelves, games were stacked neatly in the entertainment center, and finally, my computer station was set up to my standards. Dual monitors placed side by side, with system links to my laptop, and every drawer of my desk filled with my notes on the game I hope to bring to life one day just waiting for inspiration to strike. Art was far from my strong suit, but sometimes those late-night dives into the internet gave way to a new puzzle quest that one day could be another level to my game.

Really, the longer I shuffled about the small apartment, the less anxiety I began to fill and the more hope that began to flood me. This place was really all mine and then tomorrow would be the start of my classes. All that there was left to do for now, was to settle in and get some rest for an early morning of attempting to find my classes before their scheduled times in the afternoon.  
The day had passed in such a blur that I didn’t even realize the night was passing right before me until I heard what I assumed was a squeal of one of the neighboring girls and the dull drum of rock music. I could tell that the people around me were certainly a lively group. My thoughts wandered aimlessly, lingering on the events of this morning and on one certain someone in particular. 

“ _So_ smooth, Sam”, I moaned into my hands, images of my new and extremely attractively neighbor with his arms literally around me. It was practically a meeting out of a damn manga. Tall, dark, and handsome princely neighbor boy catches the shy, awkward, geeky girl before she can tumble to her demise. Embarrassment might as well of swallowed me whole like a dragon, how could I ever come face to face with that guy again? 

Despite my mind being elsewhere, my hands continued on. Muscle memory of surfing the internet and streams of people playing their favorite games took over as my brain went haywire. Just as I was getting lost in my self-deprecations, there was something that caught my eyes on the list of streams. And by something, I mean someone. Curiosity got the best of me as I clicked the stream. 

“ _Holy fuck_ ”, he yelped, an elbow flying up in the air and his knee catching on the underside of his desk with an audible thud. One so loud, I could hear it on the other side of the wall. I suppressed my giggles just in time to hear his next words. “ _Well, now that I have successfully made it so I will never sleep soundly ever again and royally fucked up my camera focus, there’s no point in me pretending I’m going to sleep now._ ” 

Sure enough, once the streamer managed to get his camera to focus back on him, I could see the face of my neighbor clear as day. His smile to no one was same as the one he offered me and my mom this morning before his mad dash away. And yet, there was something lonely about it. My fingers stilled and I was drawn into his every word, like a kinship was forming without him even realizing. He made me feel like I wasn’t so lonely, made it feel like there was someone talking directly to me and soothing me through my first night alone. 

There was no way I couldn’t deny how embarrassing that thought was, but right now, I couldn’t care less. I laughed with him, watched the way he mumbled to himself as he fought his way through demons or zombies, whatever they were. In the blink of an eye, the night was disappearing before me and I was feeling too close to a total stranger, someone who didn’t even know I was watching him. It felt wrong, too wrong. Guilt drove me to type just a single short and sweet message to him. Call it an introduction, call it an apology for this morning, or a thank you for unknowingly getting me through the initial loneliness I felt but the smile that spread across his face was enough. 

“ _Goodnight Marshall_ ”, I typed one last time, before finally clicking the X on the screen in the corner. The morning sun would shine through my windows soon and with it, the start of the next leg of my adventure. 


	3. Etherial Stomping Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One sleepless nights threatens a real shitty day ahead for Marshall, but even the smallest things can turn a day around.

That’s the bitch about having demons lingering on your shoulder, they really enjoy fucking up your life in the most inconvenient ways. Like today for instance, I managed to fall asleep no problem, but I couldn’t stay asleep no matter what I attempted to do. Each time I looked over at the clock on my side table, it was like the red numbers were mocking me, seconds ticking away like a rhythmic threat of feeling like shit all day tomorrow. Well, today now.

Those red mocking numbers told me that it was around five in the morning now, the sun would be rising soon and I would have to get through another day of classes and life in general with practically no rest to fuel me on. But that was only part of the issue at hand. The real dangers of these early mornings were the promised tranquility. The silence was almost eerie at this time of day. I lived among dozens of students and young adults in a busy city, silence was not something that came often except for the moments of the day where the world was tucked away for their peaceful slumbers. It was far from peaceful to me, silence welcomed the noise of the mind to run wild. 

I couldn’t take it any longer. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I gave up the warmth of the sheets in favor of tattered running shoes. The best way to combat that silence of the early hours of the day was to put my headphones in and get my heart rate elevated. Call me a masochist, but giving my body something to actually be tired about was the best fuck you I could think of towards my mind. Plus, each step that made my muscles scream and made each breath feel like fire cascading into my lungs, chased away that phantom pain in my mind with real, visceral pain. At least this way, it was a productive form of self-punishment. 

Armed with nothing more than my headphones, I set out on that misty San Francisco morning to tackle the goliath that was the dew-covered hills of the city. My feet carried me as fast as the beat of each song, advancing me farther down the same route that I had memorized in my short time in the city. Out of the apartment complex to the main street, a quick right onto 6th street, before another right onto Parnassus Avenue and straight away through the University. From there my steps would lead me down Medical Center Way and into the nature preserve. 

It was around this time that I would really begin to feel the burn and ache making my body home. It was also why I turned into the winding hills of the nature preserve rather than continuing on to Sutro Tower. There was just something refreshing about the way the business and grime of the city would give way to this thicket of trees and greenery. Like I stepped out of my world and into something ethereal, a place where even my meanest demons couldn’t chase me away. It motivated me.  
I didn’t stop or slow my pace, I refused. I couldn’t rest, not until I reached my final destination. It was my reward for this self-inflicted punishment and therapy session of a morning run. 

It was just ahead at the top of the hill, a clearing of trees in which the rising sun danced off the water of the San Francisco Bay and kissed the tops of the roof tops over the Mission and the Dogpatch. It was the convergence of the two worlds that I found myself in, a place that made me feel as if that things would be okay. If the morning sun could rise up over the city, then I could face all of this. 

My stride shortened, until I came to a complete stop. Arms on top of my head, and eyes glued to the rising star that engulfed the city slowly. Each breath became easier, making my head swim in the bliss of my pounding heart. I waited and watched.

One beat. Two breaths. A city coming to life.  
There I remained until everything, including those demons, stilled.  
And then I kept going.

Now, I didn’t run every day. I didn’t hate myself that much, but it had become just another band aid to throw on top of those festering wounds. And it sure as shit helped, there was a reason that it was called a runner’s high. Endorphins is what the internet claimed, but me personally, it felt like I went to battle with a final boss and walked out with my life. 

………………………………

The apartment complex was already stirring by the time I walked back onto its grounds. I had a morning class myself, but I could promise you that it wasn’t going to be happening today. It was just an elective anyway; one missed lecture wouldn’t kill me. 

My limbs were pleasantly heavy, while my body felt like it was floating on a cloud. It was an euphoric type of sensation, making each step up to my floor feel like it stretched on to eternity. With a smile finally stretching on my face, I could admit that I was actually sleepy now. My shower was calling to me and then I was going to make my pillow my sweet mistress. Oh baby, did that sound appealing. 

Turning down the long stretch of hallway that my apartment was housed, I spotted another early riser. “Morning Vicki”, I mumbled, offering a wave to the dark-haired girl as she pulled the door shut behind her. 

“Morning, Marshall. I take it you chose to run again this morning? You know, the offer to join my sunrise yoga class still stands.”

“You know, I think you invite me to these things hoping just to watch me fall on my ass”, I smirked her way, trying my best to dodge her elbow as we passed in the hall. The quick exchange was all but forgotten when I turned the corner and collided with another body. A much smaller body.  
A familiar, much smaller body.

“ _Oof_ , sorry about that, I didn’t see you standing there”, I laughed, hands shooting up into the air in my own defense as my gaze leveled on the newest addition to the floor. Still, she barely looked up to me, the faintest hint of a blush coloring the apples of her cheeks. This innocence of hers had to be an act, right? 

“We must really stop meeting like this, the neighbors really are gossips here and they’re going to get the wrong idea”, I mused, arms stretching over my head. I resisted the urge to groan as the ache in my muscles began to kick in. “Who knows what kind of stories they would spread about us! Maybe everyone will start thinking you’re bullying me”, I sighed, head tipping back and letting the back of my wrist come to rest on my forehead in true dramatic flare. Seconds ticked by and there was no response. This girl was still totally silent and I was just about to give up on yet another interaction when there was something that caught my attention. 

If it hadn’t of been such a quiet morning, I probably would have missed it entirely, but thankfully the halls were devoid of its usual coed background noise. Because the sound of her quiet laugh felt like another battle won. I stared down at her as her expression softened, as her lips split into a barely there smile, and her fingers poked out from her sleeves to try and cover the sight.

I don’t know how many seconds ticked by with me staring down at her dumbfounded. Who knew making someone giggle could feel _this_ satisfying?  
Marshall, 2. Sleepless Day, 0.

“Ha, so you’re human like the rest of us”, finally I couldn’t hold back, bending at the hips and dipping ever so slightly to be within her eye level. “Sorry for running into you, yet again.”

“There’s no need to apologize, I was standing in the way”, she responded, fingers dropping as her eyes turned back to one of the filers on the wall. “I was just caught up reading some of these.” 

Following her gaze, I spotted the various notifications of on and off campus events being thrown to bring people together. Parties, clubs, protests, and even a few part time jobs were all displayed for us to take as we wished. I had attended a few of the events the previous year, but none so far. Hell, I hadn’t even looked at the board at all since classes started. “So you have discovered our good ol’ bulletin board. There’s some fun things that happen on campus, but let me tell you, the best ones are the ones our apartment puts together”, I started, my eyes flickering up to the row of shut doors that made up our little makeshift neighborhood and community. “It’s a pretty close-knit group of people, so they try to put together events every so often. Looks like Vickie and Angela are doing a karaoke night”, I mused, reaching for the bright orange flyer. Pulling it free from the confines of the staples, I offered it out to the girl before me. 

“Oh, I don’t know”, her hands shot up between us, keeping the distance and refusing the offer.

“Your new right?”, to this, all the brunette did was nod her head. “Well, these are a pretty great way to get to know people. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, of course. No pressure. It took me about two months to open up going to these things, but if you decide to go you’d be welcomed.”

I don’t know why I was trying so hard to interact with her, it wasn’t like she seemed like she wanted to have a conversation. But, there was something about her, that reminded me of well, me. That fearful expression in her eyes and uncertainty in how she held herself, it was a mirror image of how I felt when I first moved into the city. If it hadn’t of been for the warmth of those who reach out to me, I probably would have called it quits on this fresh start of mine. I just wanted to pay that forward a little.  
She took the flier from my grasp. It was nearly impossible to not notice how tiny her fingers were compared to mine. “Thank you”, she spoke softly, and much to my own surprise, finally met my gaze. There was a flicker of determination in those chocolate colored orbs that had the smile threatening to pull apart my lips once more. There was something gratifying in that brief hint of resolve in such a tiny being. 

“And you don’t have to worry about yesterday, everything in my box was okay”, she spoke again, furthering my surprise as she stretched the conversation out further.  
“Good! And I didn’t hurt you or your mom, right?”

“Not at all, my Mom was rather entertained by you, actually.”

“Glad to hear it.” Well, at least the Mom bait thing was turning out to be true. 

“And, I’m sorry that I was a bit rude yesterday. I was just a bit overwhelmed with the whole move and new place.” 

Her apology took me off guard. I stood up straighter, reaching up to rub at the back of my neck. “You don’t have to apologize. Trust me, I get it”, I tried to dispel her worries, but the way she gnawed on her bottom lip told the whole story. Had she worried about being rude to me all night? 

“I’m Sam, by the way”, with that, she held out her hand in the air between us.

Quickly, I wiped the pooling sweat in my hand on my shorts before taking her hand into mine. Sure enough, the first thing I noticed was that my observations were correct, her hand was practically swallowed by mine. But the firm grasp and solid shake she gave my hand, she was no mere dainty damsel in distress. Something told me this Sam was full of surprises.

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Marshall.”

We released our grip and took another step away from one another, though my eyes remained glued on her. The bold way she shook my hand one second and the next was hiding behind the frames of her glasses and baggy sweater left me feeling like I was staring down at pieces of a puzzle. 

“Pleasure to meet you too. I need to head to class now, but maybe I’ll see you around”, she took measured steps backwards, holding up the orange flyer like a lure to pull me in.

“Yeah, maybe”, I spoke, but then she was gone and on to her day. 

………………………………

It was less than a half hour later that I was freshly showered and laying bare chested in my bed once more. Sure, my sleepless night sure may have ruined my plans for the day, but it seemed to have brought me something unexpected. I reflected back on the conversation with Sam and the potential friendship I saw with her, as my eyelids grew heavier and breathing grew shallow. Until slowly, I finally I fell away into unconsciousness, satisfied.


End file.
